Criticism

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: crit=i=cism

CIDE DICTIONARY

Criticism, n. 

•  The rules and principles which regulate the practice of the critic; the art of judging with knowledge and propriety of the beauties and faults of a literary performance, or of a production in the fine arts; as, dramatic criticism.  [1913 Webster]

  "The elements ofcriticism depend on the two principles of Beauty and Truth, one of which is the final end or object of study in every one of its pursuits: Beauty, in letters and the arts; Truth, in history and sciences."  [1913 Webster]

  "By criticism, as it was first instituted by Aristotle, was meant a standard of judging well."  [1913 Webster]
•  The act of criticising; a critical judgment passed or expressed; a critical observation or detailed examination and review; a critique; animadversion; censure.  [1913 Webster]

  "About the plan of “Rasselas” little was said by the critics; and yet the faults of the plan might seem to invite severe criticism."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Criticism, n.
1 a finding fault; censure. b a statement or remark expressing this.
2 a the work of a critic. b an article, essay, etc., expressing or containing an analytical evaluation of something.

Idiom

the higher criticism criticism dealing with the origin and character etc. of texts, esp. of Biblical writings. the lower criticism textual criticism of the Bible.

Etymology

CRITIC or L criticus + -ISM

THESAURUS

Criticism

adverse criticism, analysis, animadversion, appraisal, approval, aspersion, assessment, bad notices, bad press, book review, captiousness, carping, cavil, caviling, censoriousness, censure, comment, commentary, commentation, condemnation, critical bibliography, critical journal, critical notice, critical review, critique, cryptanalysis, cryptography, cryptology, diagnostics, disapproval, disparagement, editorial, epigraphy, estimate, estimation, evaluation, examination, exception, exegetics, faultfinding, flak, gloss, hairsplitting, hermeneutics, hit, home thrust, hostile criticism, hypercriticalness, hypercriticism, imputation, judgement, knock, leader, leading article, lexicography, literary criticism, metoposcopy, nagging, niggle, niggling, nit, nit-picking, notice, obloquy, observation, oneirology, opinion, overcriticalness, paleography, pathognomy, pestering, pettifogging, physiognomics, physiognomy, priggishness, quibble, quibbling, rap, rating, reflection, remark, renew, report, reproachfulness, review, running commentary, semeiology, semeiotics, slam, stricture, study, swipe, symptomatology, taking exception, textual criticism, trichoschistism, tropology, valuation, write-up

ROGET THESAURUS

Criticism

Dissertation

N dissertation, treatise, essay, thesis, theme, monograph, tract, tractate, tractation, discourse, memoir, disquisition, lecture, sermon, homily, pandect, excursus, commentary, review, critique, criticism, article, leader, leading article, editorial, running commentary, investigation, study, discussion, exposition, commentator, critic, essayist, pamphleteer, discursive, discoursive, disquisitionary, expository.

Disapprobation

N disapprobation, disapproval, improbation, disesteem, disvaluation, displacency, odium, dislike, dispraise, discommendation, blame, censure, obloquy, detraction, disparagement, depreciation, denunciation, condemnation, ostracism, black list, animadversion, reflection, stricture, objection, exception, criticism, sardonic grin, sardonic laugh, sarcasm, insinuation, innuendo, bad compliment, poor compliment, left-handed compliment, satire, sneer, taunt, cavil, carping, censoriousness, hypercriticism, reprehension, remonstrance, expostulation, reproof, reprobation, admonition, increpation, reproach, rebuke, reprimand, castigation, jobation, lecture, curtain lecture, blow up, wigging, dressing, rating, scolding, trimming, correction, set down, rap on the knuckles, coup de bec, rebuff, slap, slap on the face, home thrust, hit, frown, scowl, black look, diatribe, jeremiad, jeremiade, tirade, philippic, clamor, outcry, hue and cry, hiss, hissing, sibilance, sibilation, catcall, execration, chiding, upbraiding, exprobation, abuse, vituperation, invective, objurgation, contumely, hard words, cutting words, bitter words, evil-speaking, bad language, personality, disapproving, scandalized, disparaging, condemnatory, damnatory, denunciatory, reproachful, abusive, objurgatory, clamorous, vituperative, defamatory, satirical, sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, dry, sharp, cutting, biting, severe, withering, trenchant, hard upon, censorious, critical, captious, carping, hypercritical, fastidious, sparing of praise, grudging praise, disapproved, chid, in bad odor, blown upon, unapproved, unblest, at a discount, exploded, weighed in the balance and found wanting, blameworthy, reprehensible, to blame, worthy of blame, answerable, uncommendable, exceptionable, not to be thought of, bad, vicious, unlamented, unbewailed, unpitied, with a wry face, reproachfully, Int, it is too bad!, it won't do, it will never do!, marry come up!, Oh!, come!, 'sdeath!, forbid it Heaven!, God forbid, Heaven forbid!, out upon, fie upon it!, away with!, tut!, O tempora!, O mores!, shame!, fie, fie for shame!, out on you!, tell it not in Gath!.

Judgment

N judgment, result, conclusion, upshot, deduction, inference, ergotism, illation, corollary, porism, moral, estimation, valuation, appreciation, judication, dijudication, adjudication, arbitrament, arbitrement, arbitration, assessment, ponderation, valorization, award, estimate, review, criticism, critique, notice, report, decision, determination, judgment, finding, verdict, sentence, decree, findings of fact, findings of law, res judicata, plebiscite, voice, casting vote, vote, opinion, good judgment, judge, umpire, arbiter, arbitrator, asessor, referee, censor, reviewer, critic, connoisseur, commentator, inspector, inspecting officer, twenty-twenty hindsight, armchair general, monday morning quarterback, judging, judicious, determinate, conclusive, on the whole, all things considered, a Daniel come to judgment, and stand a critic, hated yet caress'd, it is much easier to be critical than to be correc, la critique est aisee et l'art est difficile, nothing if not critical, O most lame and impotent conclusion.